Balls that add to arm problems

Everyone focuses on racket stiffness and poly strings causing arm problems, which is very true. Has anyone else noticed that some types of balls can be tough on someone with elbow or wrist problems? I deal with both, so it is always a balancing act to not create too much damage. I just about can't play with Dunlop or Wilson US Open balls. Dunlop balls are very hard, feels like I am hitting rocks. The Wilson US Open ball is heavier and slower than the standard Wilson or Penn heavy duty championship ball. I did drills with my son last night using the local university team's standard practice US Open balls. I felt like I was hitting balls that were filled with water. Just heavier and slower, with alot more stress on my wrist. Anyone else notice this before? I know I've walked on the court where someone else provided the balls, and after 3 shots realized we were hitting Dunlop balls due to their hardness. Seems like at least in my case, the ball type is as big a factor in bringing out elbow and wrist issues as racket and string type.

The OP asks a good question. The frame, the strings, the tension, and the ball are all factors that effect the impact shock to the wrist, arm, and shoulder.

Dunlop makes a ball with "Abzorber" technology that they claim reduces the impact shock by 15%. I believe that I've seen the cans at Walmart, but I'm not sure.

I couldn't find these balls on the TW site. When I tried to write a link to a seller, the censors at Tennis Talk deemed that my First Amendment right should be abridged. A quick search should reveal where they are sold.

(Shame on Tennis Talk. It makes you wonder what else they arbitrarily decide we the people should not write here.)

I've read that dead balls give the worst shock, followed by pressure-less balls (due to thicker rubber), but I can't find any scientific testing on this. Sounds right, but it's hearsay.

I've switched from Penn pressure-less balls to Tretorn Micro X balls for my ball machine. They are very long lasting and don't loose bounce height, but expensive.

Found this excerpt from an article that Tennis Talk won't let send the link"

"The beginning, as we put it, is the ball. Different types of balls create different IMPULSE intensities,
transfering varying amounts of energy upon impact with racquet strings. Without bringing a lawsuit
down upon ourselves, we will quote industry spec's showing that Wilson U.S. Open Balls generate 7%
more energy upon impact, than do Pro Penn's, while the Pro Penn's generate 8% more impact energy
then Dunlop Abzorbers. These were developed specifically to help reduce the incidence or severity of
Tennis Elbow and they do make a big difference. That's a reduction of either 15% or 8% of the shock.
The Dunlop Abzorber Ball is endorsed by the American Institute of Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine.
They feel just like any other standard ball during play and are U.S.T.A. and IFT Approved and legal.
To our knowledge, we are the only source for the Dunlop Abzorber tennis balls anywhere in the world.

Another often ignored issue has to do with balls used for practice. Tennis Pro's often carry quantities
of balls with them in large teaching carts. You may have a large quantity of balls kept in a ball hopper,
which you use to practice serving or when hitting against a ball machine. The problem is that such balls
go dead over time, & it is a fact that human nature precludes us from wanting to throw things away,
that we may still be able to use. So we are faced with the issue of dead balls, which are even worse
for your arm than the worst of the live balls. The same issue comes up if using Pressureless balls.
Which are in some cases even worse than dead regular balls. The answer to this problem is a simple
one. Use Tretorn Micro-X balls for all practice, drilling & ball machines. These balls are exactly
the same as the balls you normally use to play, but they never go dead. They are filled with air,
that is encased in small micro balloons, rather than being loose inside the hollow ball. Due to the
micro balloons, the air can't escape so the balls never go dead. These balls are both USTA & ITF
approved & you'll not be able to feel any difference. True they cost significantly more than regular
balls, but in the long run they have the lowest cost of use of any ball available. I still suggest using
the Dunlop Abzorbers for play if possible, as they are slighlty softer than the Tretorn Micro-X's,
but if you tend to use balls long after they are fresh, even using the Tretorn Micro-X balls may
ultimately be a choice, as they last until the fuzz is gone. See all our balls on the Accessories page."

I"m a DunlopHDHardCourt proponent.
Sure, it makes my first flat serve bounce a foot LOWER.
Sure, my so called "winners" become just decent shots.
But the fact I don't hit too many clean winners with them actually improves my overall tennis, and I don't have to scramble as hard to retrieve the opponent's good shots.
If I hit with Wilson balls in 85 degree temps, I would claim 115 mph serves that bounce stomach to lower chest heights...

I'm usually using Slazenger (which are Dunlop's right?) and although they feel hard in the first 5 minutes after opening a can- I just go slower at the beginning of the warm up, to protect the arm and then they are golden.

(Except of course when they feel a bit deflated even when fresh out of the can- having bought a couple of cases last summer....)

I don't play well with super fast balls, as they are tough to keep on the court when hitting hard. But the Dunlop balls I've used, and the heavy duty Wilson US Open's just kill my arm. If I play with them two days in a row, my wrist is shot.

For many years, I played with boxes of Dunlop Grand Prix's. When I started having elbow/wrist problems, I switched to Penn's from Costco. The Penn's seemed softer but didn't last nearly as long as the GP's.

I thought about trying the Dunlop A Players since they're supposed to be softer than the GP's.

But I ended up buying a box of Penn ATP's. They don't last as long as the GP's but come closer than the regular Penn's and seem comfortable. I think I'll be sticking with the ATP's for a while.

Hint: Get the TW gift cards when they go on sale before Thanksgiving. Then use the cards to buy cases of balls when free shipping is offered.

the Volkl balls feel like rocks. One doubles match, I opened a fresh can of Volkl balls. While warming up, one of the opponents picked up and stared at the ball for a second then went to his bag and opened up a can of the generic Penn.

the Volkl balls feel like rocks. One doubles match, I opened a fresh can of Volkl balls. While warming up, one of the opponents picked up and stared at the ball for a second then went to his bag and opened up a can of the generic Penn.

Thought I scored by getting those Volkl balls for a cheaper price...

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I've done this as well. Started warming up, hit a couple of shots, thought "OUCH", looked at the balls and saw they were Dunlop, and broke out a can of standard Wilson or Penn Championship balls.

Everyone focuses on racket stiffness and poly strings causing arm problems, which is very true. Has anyone else noticed that some types of balls can be tough on someone with elbow or wrist problems? I deal with both, so it is always a balancing act to not create too much damage. I just about can't play with Dunlop or Wilson US Open balls. Dunlop balls are very hard, feels like I am hitting rocks. The Wilson US Open ball is heavier and slower than the standard Wilson or Penn heavy duty championship ball. I did drills with my son last night using the local university team's standard practice US Open balls. I felt like I was hitting balls that were filled with water. Just heavier and slower, with alot more stress on my wrist. Anyone else notice this before? I know I've walked on the court where someone else provided the balls, and after 3 shots realized we were hitting Dunlop balls due to their hardness. Seems like at least in my case, the ball type is as big a factor in bringing out elbow and wrist issues as racket and string type.

Good thread topic. Have definitely noticed that balls make a big difference in arm pain. Dunlops are my kryptonite for sure. Avoid Wilson US Opens too.

Have tried so many in search of quality with the right feel.

Ordinary Penn Championships were fine for me until 1/3rd of them started coming out the can dead or fluffing up within a few minutes. Princes no longer available, Volkls also too hard, blah, blah, blah.

DEAD BALLS = TENNIS ELBOW. I was out of town and decided to take a Doubles Clinic at a local resort. When I get there I was a bit surprised there was no warm up and the pro just started feeding balls from what looked like a aftermarket shopping cart. I remember the first ball coming at me to be completely faded from being in the sun too long and the big THWOPP as I hit it. I must have hit around 200 dead balls and that evening I experienced a solid case of golfers elbow (underneath the elbow).
I was SO PISSED at myself for not walking off the court when I realized the pro was using crappy old balls that were deader than a doornail.
Now that it's injured, I have had to drop my string tension on what is already a soft multi in a 57RA frame. UGH.

my absolute favorite clinic coach has an entire cart full of mostly dead balls. His birthday is next week and I am gifting him two cases of Wilson USOpens. I figure that is a .5 NTRP bump for me for certain.
But seriously, love his clinics, so worth it to me in the end as I see him 3X a week.

The Tennis Warehouse Tennis Talk Forum censors will not allow me to post the source.

We must comply. Resistance is futile.

Sincere regrets,
Dave

(top secret email sent to you)

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Freedom of Speech is a protection from government prosecution. A private entity has every right to restrict speech in its own domain. Just as you have every right to operate your own forum and tell everyone else what they can or cannot post.

Just because the government can't put you in jail for saying something doesn't mean everyone else has to make their platform available to you for whatever you want.

On topic, another reason I am loving ProPenn marathons... feel much better playing with them than with the Wilsons.

Our club plays with Wilson Championship's, both XD and regular(red and green lids). All of the other clubs in our area play with the Pro Penn Marathons. Compared to the Wilson Championship the Marathons are like rocket launchers off of my racquet.
As for the Wilson US Open's I agree with what most are saying... they are hard as a rock. I also feel like the Penn Championship out of the black can are really light. I don't get very much feel from them and they die after less than a set. When you look at one after a long point they look like a troll doll!

Penn makes a 4-ball can of ATP Tour Regular Duty balls and that is what I use. My arm is never sore with those. The Wilson US opens are too hard and heavy and yes they will leave you sore, especially if you have a long hitting session.